Usually our reviews focus on just the phone.
With the Idol 4 however, we need to take a look at the whole provided package to fairly
assess it.
There’s a whole box of tricks for the £229 price tag and when you take everything into
account, it’s excellent value for money.
So first up we’ll take a look inside the box –a detailed unboxing is linked in the
description.
This review is based on UK/EU 6055P version that Clove sell.
As well as the VR headset, two cases are also included – one 'Matrix' flip case and one
transparent bumper - plus a screen protector.
An impressive pair of JBL earphones is also squirreled away inside.
That's a lot of extras.
There's no RRP, although I’d suggest about £100 sold separately.
The Matrix case is a type of 'window' case.
Notifications appear in the window, instead of lighting the whole screen.
This works but annoyingly there’s no closing mechanism.
The bumper and screen protector are nice little extras.
Doubtless they were very cheap to include, however are welcome when most manufacturers
skimp on box contents these days.
The JBL headphones are part of Alcatel's marketing.
The idea is that the Idol 4 is worthy of flagship phones twice the price.
To be fair these are decent buds.
A flat cable avoids tangles, and there’s plenty of volume and bass.
Alcatel providing all of these extras at £229 is very generous, even if you don’t use
many.
The tech world is in love with VR right now.
Be it high end thousand-pound set-ups or cheaper options.
Mobile VR is a bit of a gateway experience right now.
The quality is nowhere near an HTC Vive or Oculus, however provides the uninitiated with
a snippet of what’s possible in the VR space.
If you've tried a Samsung Gear VR then the Idol 4 VR is almost on a par.
Everything looks a little grainy.
That’s expected - the effect is made by just magnifying a 1080p screen only an inch
from your eyes.
Samsung’s £80 kit is better though, with a focussing dial and a touchpad.
A better comparison is Google Cardboard.
Google’s kit works with any Android phone that fits and runs a VR app.
The Idol VR does the same thing, with a much better nicer headset.
You get an adjustable strap and the foam inner around the eyes is comfy.
There are also two buttons for navigating menus in the Alcatel VR Launcher app.
Plenty of content is installed - 360° images & videos, a game and some newsfeeds with regularly
updated videos and shorts.
You can also download VR ready content through Google Play or Alcatel’s VR Store.
As with all VR content to date, the more stylised or 'cartoony' apps and images provide the
best experience.
Once you've tried some 'realistic' content, I recommending loading up games for a more
immersive experience.
I installed Zombie Shooter VR to try things out and everything ran smoothly.
With Android N natively supporting VR, we can expect many more apps towards the end
of the year.
The Idol 4's VR proposition is interesting.
It's far cheaper than a Gear VR and Galaxy phone, and much more comfortable than a Google
Cardboard.
I don't think anyone will buy an Idol 4 just for the VR, although I can though see people
buying the Idol 4 and then enjoying it as an extra.
If the Idol 4 is on your shortlist of phones, this could swing your decision.
The Idol 4 is a handsome phone, as was the Idol 3.
2 years on the trot Alcatel have produced a smart and professional phone.
At this price decent design often disappears.
Getting the best specifications usually takes precedence, so hats off to Alcatel for putting
the effort in.
This could easily pass for something far more expensive.
The edges and trim are a durable plastic, although give off the impression of metals.
The speaker grilles are finely drilled in each of the 4 positions (top and bottom, back
and front).
All the buttons click nicely and don’t wobble.
Even the weight is well-balanced.
Little touches are also attended to smartly.
For instance the SIM tray is perfectly flush.
A minor detail to some but I've seen plenty of cheap phones with wonky trays.
The back cover has a glossy, reflective coating which is stunning.
Wiped clean - it’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet - it's almost mirror quality.
An almost invisible pattern has been introduced too.
With just a small amount of light hitting it, a pair of flares radially emanate from
the Alcatel logo.
The effect spins as you rotate the phone.
In direct sunlight it’s impossible to miss.
Certainly not the sort of design flair you'd expect at this price.
My only gripe has to be the positioning of the 'Boom Key'.
This context sensitive button sits centrally on the right edge, exactly where your thumb
lands if right-handed.
That’s not usually a bad thing but I've yet to meet someone who didn't think it was
the power button.
I've lost count of the times I've pressed it to unlock the screen.
Eventually you condition yourself to use the actual power button but until then it’s
frustrating quickly.
Boom Key positioning aside, this is a truly well manufactured bit of kit.
I've seen 4-500 pound phones that don't look and feel as good as this in the hand.
Software wise, the Idol 4 will be hit and miss for many.
Android 6.0 is installed - good start – but there's a lot of Alcatel customisation.
This doesn't really affect the casual user, however I know plenty resist changes to the
stock Android experience.
Alcatel’s skin is the Onetouch Launcher.
You can remove the Google search bar (unlike the Google Now launcher) and it has a built-in
response to the Boom Key being pressed.
That boils down to little more than a frivolous lens-flare animation.
The launcher also allows you to add a 'parallax' effect to wallpapers.
This is on by default, so as you tilt the phone, the wallpaper slides around slightly.
It's a subtle effect that gives the impression of the app icons floating above the surface.
The lock screen can be heavily customised.
WallShuffle picks a random background image from a collection.
The feature is on by default so I'd recommend going through the images.
Explaining why a baby's face was on my lock screen was interesting when I don't have any
kids...
There are also a long list of potential app shortcuts that can be added to the lock screen.
Extra display settings include changing the colour temperature and deciding if you want
the 'reversible screen' feature on.
This flips the screen when the phone is held upside-down and switches the microphone/earpiece
over so you can answer a call either way up.
Core system apps have all been lightly skinned with a flat design and pastel colours.
The app icons have also been turned into rounded squares.
This creates a consistent feel across the phone’s UI.
A few Alcatel apps sneak on to the phone as well.
'Boost' is an optimisation app for storage and battery - these are popular recently.
A Compass application overlays information on top of a real time image from the camera.
SmartSuite is an interesting sounding app.
It’s supposed to partner with a desktop program and collate contacts, calendar events,
messages and emails.
Unfortunately the current desktop version from Alcatel's website didn't load up on my
Windows 7 PC so I couldn't test it out...
Finally a 'User Care' app provides some FAQs, tutorials, contact details and a diagnostic
tool.
These are nice additions to have, even if many users may not actually discover them.
3rd party apps are installed - some integrated as system apps which can't be uninstalled.
Removable apps include Facebook, Messenger and a couple of games.
Deezer is also installed, offering a credible alternative to other popular music streaming
apps.
Other removable apps include WPS Office and Xender File Transfer.
The fully integrated apps are Waves MaxxAudio and SwiftKey, which can’t be removed.
The same goes for Fyuse, Littlstar and TiZR Lifecasting which you be unfamiliar with.
Of these two, Fyuse and TiZR are integrated into the camera app.
Fyuse creates 'spatial photography', which is hard to explain without seeing it in action.
Imagine moving around an object or person, taking short video clips as you go.
Now imagine all those are stitched into a continuous jump-cut video, similar to a panorama
shot.
A finished Fyuse is somewhere between a video and a GIF.
The result is that you can rotate around the finished Fyuse by dragging the screen or tilting
the phone.
It's a fun toy, but I can't see use for it beyond casual play.
Then again people said the same of Instagram.
There's a small but vibrant community so if you decide to have a play, you can share with
the community, comment and 'echo' other Fyuses to followers.
TiZR is a live video broadcasting service.
It's accessible from the camera when you press the 'Boom Key' during recording.
It’s similar to Meerkat & Periscope, live-streaming content publicly or to select groups.
The app is fairly sparse, to be expected for a startup launched not too long ago.
Mileage from TiZR will depend on having friends and family using the app, or by following
accounts from personalities.
The last non-removable app is Littlstar, integrated into the VR experience.
This is a hub for 360 videos and VR content.
Content comes from celebrities, bands, news sources and documentary makers.
As VR becomes mainstream, Littlstar are trying to become a hub for regularly updated content.
I also count 4(!) extra app stores on top of Google Play.
First is a collaboration with game giant Gameloft.
Then we have 3 separate Alcatel stores; a main ‘Apps’ store, followed by a ‘Games’
store which is a subset of the first.
Finally a VR Store which is actually fairly useful.
Alcatel's ownership under Chinese company TCL may have something to do with this.
Issues with Google services in China have created a self-contained industry for app
stores there.
Even if the storefronts don't get much use outside China, it's a no-brainer to include
them.
The 13MP camera on the Alcatel Idol 4 does pretty well for itself.
At this price no-one expects too much; often it’s enough in this tier that the camera
is just 'OK'.
Fine detail is picked out well and the processing handles colour reproduction admirably.
A couple of times it seemed to get a little confused in high contrast situations.
In one shot the sky quickly turns from blue to near-white, although the sun was perpendicular
to the shot.
Changes in focal seem to be handled well.
An image with a bush in the foreground resolves detail both close and far, even with the bush
blowing in the wind.
Switch to the 8MP selfie camera and the app gives you a beautification option.
A slider on the screen lets you 'smooth' over skin tones and wrinkles.
Things get grainy quickly in low light but that’s a drawback of many mobile cameras.
A night mode exists, although all it does is keep the shutter open for longer.
Alcatel's app has some manual options for ISO, aperture, white balance and focal adjustment.
There are no preset shooting 'modes', so it's just auto or manual.
A panorama feature is included, plus a couple of video tools.
You can shoot in 30 fps slow motion at a reduced resolution.
The 'micro-video' utility is a fun little thing too.
With this you can stitch together short video bursts into a silly jump cut video.
The Idol 4 won’t be challenging a top-end Galaxy or iPhone camera any time soon but
overall This isn't a phone for Android purists, however
I've really enjoyed my time with it.
Alcatel have delivered a good-looking and well-performing mid-range smartphone with
cool extras.
It's more than that though.
This is Alcatel trying very hard to make a noise and be heard.
The styling and design work are on point.
It's hard to impart some personality when most phones look the same.
The Idol 4 manages it with slick edging and a beautiful back panel.
Piling accessories into the box and advertising VR are also sure to win a few headlines.
The VR may be a basic proposition when you actually play with it, although it’s an
easy sell.
To be honest it's very hard to see how Alcatel have priced all of this at £229.
Even for the smartphone alone this would be a cracking price.
It's a bold statement to the rest of the market and should realign people's expectations from
a phone of this tier.
It’s possible the RRP has been made artificially low in order to get a foothold in the market
but that's how the game works.
The end result to the consumer is a very respectable smartphone and accessories at an excellent
price.
Unless you demand a purer Android experience, or the comfort of known brand recognition,
there's not much else I'd recommend under £250.